Lock and method of manufacture



1,624,051 Ap 1927' A. L. HANSEN LOCK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed May15, 1926 Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES I 1,624,051 PATENT OFFICE.

A'UGIE L. HANSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO A. L. HANSEN MFG.430., OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LOCK AND METHOD OF MANUFAOTUBE.

Application filed Kay 15, 1926. Serial No. 109,236.

This invention relates to improvements in construction for looks and thelike forms of hardware coming within the class of auto mobile and housedoor locks, window latches and the like. To identify the subject matterof the present invention with even greater particularity, it relates toa method for making and assemblin a handle or other moving part and abus ing, the latter preferably being stamped from sheet metal.

It has long been the common practise to manufacture the moving oroperating parts of the more inexpensive types of door locks of castmetal or drop forgings, as for instance the handles having cylindricbearing portions or bushings which rotate within the lock casing andprovided with square bores therethrough to receive the square shank ofan outside door handle. In some cases, however, a locking member isfound integral with the bushing instead of a handle, their variations inpractise depending on the particular type of lock being made. In allcases however the casting or forging of the movin parts of a lock, fromeither steel or ma leable iron, the square opening is either cored ordrilled and then broached out, but neither method is satisfactory sinceaccuracy is largely dependent upon the care and skill of the patternmaker or machinist. Moreover, the ends of the bushing must be accuratelymachined to form its bearings in the lock-casing and this requiresmachine work, which adds considerably to the cost of production.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate all casting, forgingand machining operations, and to stamp the parts from sheet metalblanks, and to form and assemble the same complete by punch pressoperations.

A typical operation is herein disclosed in the making of a lock handle,such as would be used in a lock for the cab door of a commercialvehicle.

Figures 1 and 2 are views of the complete handle in elevation as viewedfrom different angles.

Figure 3 is a view in ,elevation of the handle stamping before ready toreceive the bushing.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bushing blank.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blank after the first formingoperation.

Figure 6 is a view of the bushing bent into final shape.

Figure 7 is a view of bushing with one end swaged preparatory toinserting it in the handle.

The handle (Figures 1 and 2) embodying the invention consists of the twoparts or stampings, namely, a lever 1, and the square bushing 2 both ofsheet metal.

As shown in Figure 3, the lever 1 is a simple form of sheet metalstamping, having a curved shank 1, an enlarged portion 1" at one endofi'set at 90 to the shank to form the handle proper, and at the otherend with a rounded enlargement 1 having a part round and part squarehole 1 punched therein. The handle in this form 1s ready to have thebushing 2 assembled.

The formation of the bushing 2 consists of a series of stamping andforming operations successively disclosed in Figures 4 to 7. Theoperation is to stamp out the blanks 2* (Figure 4) from which thebushings are formed.= These blanks are generally rectangular in shapetheir length being substantially twice their width. By preference thelonger edges are slightly convex, and the shorter or end edges concave,for reasons which will presently appear. These blanks are stamped fromsheet metal by a punch l press with suitable blanking dies.

The second operation is the bending or drawing the blank into theU-shape piece 2 (Figure 5) this being also a punch press operation. Inthe drawing of the metal into its U-form, a certain amount of distortiontakes place hence by forming the blanks with concave and convexedgesthese same edges assume straight lines after the metal is drawn inthe forming operation.

The third operation is bending of the end portions of the U-shaped piece2 at right angles and toward each other into abutting contact, thusforming a tubular piece 2" substantially square in section, but withrounded corners, and having a square opening therethrough, finished tothe predetermine size of the square shank of the handle to be insertedtherethr'ough. The outside dimensions of the bushing in this form, whileapproximately fitting the opening 1 in the lever 1, may or may not beinserted with a press fit without an additional operation.

In the present disclosure the bushing is preferably subjected to afurthenoperation,

which is that of swaging one end, between suitable dies, acting end-wiseof the bushing to cut or strip the metal along the corner edges and thusbuild it up in the form of lugs 3, and at the same time reducing thediameter of the bushing throughout one end portion and at the same timeforming lugs 3, at each corner, and at the base of the swaged portion.

The final operation is that of assembling the bushing and the handle,the reduced end portion being inserted into the opening 1 of the leverto the limit permitted by the lugs 3, and with a portion of the bushingpro jecting beyond the opposite side of the handle. as shown in Figure1.

When thus assembled, the bushing is subjected to another swagingoperation, by which both ends of the bushing are upset for a distance ofapproximately a of an inch. Two results are accomplished by thisoperation; first, end bearings are formed, these being practically roundor at least approach a circle sufficiently to provide suitable bearingsfor the bushing in the lock casing, and secondly, the metal which isdisplaced in forming the end bearings takes the form of lugs 4-.4, thoseon the opposite side of the handle from the lugs 3, acting to lock theparts permanently together by securing the handle between the initialset of lugs 3 and the final set 4. This completes the handle and it isthen ready for as:embly in the lock casing or other mechanism in whichit is to be used.

As previously suggested the first swaging operation may be omittedentirely. This 1 practise would be followed Where the bushmg receivingend of the handle is practically the same length as the bushing itself,or where the bushing is to be assembled with two or more locking parts,so that only the end portions of the bushing protrude. In such case, thefinal operation of swaging the ends to form the end bearings would atthe same time lock the bushing in place by the sets of lugs which aresimultaneously formed.

As already pointed out the advantages of the construction and method ofmanufacture for lock parts and the like resides in the elimination ofall cast or forged parts, and

the resulting low cost and increased volume of production that isallowed. Moreover, this method promotes accuracy and standardization ofthe product, inasmuch as machine work is entirely done away with and allparts are as uniform and as accurately dimensioned as the dies whichform them.

Manifestly the same method may be used in the manufacture of devicesother than looks or arts thereof, and therefore I do not wish to elimited in its applications to the particular disclosure herein made.

I claim:

1. A part for looks or the like, comprising a member having an openingtherethrough and a metal bushing inserted in said opening and havingsurface portions of the metal on opposite sides of sald member upset tosecure the bushing against displacement in said member.

2. A part for locks or the like, comprising a member having an openingtherethrough and a bushing fitting in said opening and consisting of ablank of sheet metal bent into tubular form and having its ends swagedto form lugs engaging opposite sides of said member.

3. A part for locks and the like comprising a sheet metal member, and abushing adapted to be inserted in an open in said member with its endportions projecting on opposite sides and consisting of a rectan ularblank of sheet metal bent into tubu ar form and having lugs swaged fromthe projecting end portions to engage the opposite sides of said member.

4. A part for locks and the like, comprising a sheet metal lever havingan opening therethrough, and a bushing, consisting of a sheet metalblank bent into tubular form and inserted through said opening with itsends projecting, and provided at its ends with reduced bearing portionsand locking lugs adjacent said bearing portions.

5. A partfor locks and the like, comprising a sheet metal lever havingan opening therethrough, and a bushing, consisting of a blank of sheetmetal bent into tubular form and inserted through said opening with itsends projecting, and provided at its ends with swaged bearing surfacesand lugs formed by the metal displaced in the swaging of said bearings.

6. A part for locks or the like, comprising a lever having an aperturetherein, and a bushing therefor, consisting of a blank of sheet metalbent in tubular form of substantially square section, and provided withswaged lugs adjacent one end adapted to engage one side of said handle,a swaged bearing portion at the opposite end and lugs adjacent saidbearing portion and adapted to engage the opposite side of said handle.

7. A part for looks or the like, comprising a lever, having an aperturetherein and a. bushing therefor, consisting of a sheet metal blank bentin tubular form of square section, and adapted to fit within saidaperture, said bushing having its ends swaged to form lugs engagin saidlever around said aperture, and su stantially circular end bearings ofreduced diameter beyond said lugs. 8. A method of forming bushings forthe operatin parts of locks and the like, consisting o stampingrectangular blanks from sheet metal, bending said blanks into tubusidesthereof, and

lar form, inserting the bushing through an aperture in the part to carrythe bushing, and swaging the metal at the ends of the bushing.

9. A method of formin bushings for the moving parts of locks an thelike, consisting 0 stam in rectan lar blanks from sheet metal, Eem iingsai blanks into tubular form, inserting the bushing through an aperturein the part to carry the bushing and swaging the metal at the ends ofthe bushing to form end bearings, and to lock said bushing and parttogether.

10. A method of forming bushings for the movin parts of locks and thelike, consisting 0 stamping rectangular blanks from sheet metal, bendingsaid blanks into tubular pieces of square section, inserting saidbushings through an aperture in the part to carry the bushing, andswaging the metal at the corners of the projecting ends of the bushingto simultaneously form locking lugs and substantially circular endbearings.

11. A method for forming the moving parts of locks and the like,consisting of stamping levers from sheet metal with substantially squareapertures therein, stamping rectangular pieces of square section fromsheet metal, bendin said pieces into tubular. form, inserting thetubular pieces through the apertures in said levers with their endportions projecting from opposite swaging the projecting ends of saidtubu ar pieces to simultaneously form reduced end bearings, and todisplace the metal endwise and laterally to lock said tubular pieces andlevers together.

12. A method for forming a lock handle or the like of sheet metalconsisting of providing a handle blank with an aperture at one end,formin a rectangular bushing blank, bending t e blank into a tubulariece of substantially square section, inserting said piece through theaperture in said handle, with its ends projectng, and swaging the endsof said bushi: lg to simultaneously form substantially circular endbearings and to upset the metal on opposite sides of said aperture.

13. A method for forming a lock handle or the like of sheet metal,consisting of providing a handle blank, punching an aperture in saidhandle blank, forming a rectangular bushing blank, drawing the blankinto a tubular piece of substantially square section, inserting saidpiece through said aperture in said handle blank with its endsprojecting, and swagin the ends of said bushing to simultaneously ormsubstantially circular end bearings and to upset the metal on opposite,sides of said handle blank.

14. A method for forming alock handle or the like of sheet metal,consisting of providing a handle blank with a substantially square aerture stampin forming a rectangular ushing blank, rawing said blankinto a tubular piece of square section, inserting said bushing throughsaid aperture and subjecting the ends of the blank to a swaging aperturewhereby the metal at the corners are displaced to form end bearings ofreduced end bearing surfaces, the displaced metal being upset laterallyto form lugs on opposite sides of said handle.

15. A method forv forming a lock handle or the like of sheet metal,consisting of providing a handle blank with a substantially squareaperture, forming a rectangular bushing blank, bending the blank into atubular piece of substantially square section, swaging one end portionof the bushing to form a reducedfportion adapted to pass through andbeyond said aperture and to form lugs ada ted to limit the passage ofsaid bus ing t rough said aperture, and finally swaging both ends of thebushing to form reduced end bearings and to form another series of lugsbearing against the face of the handle opposite the first formed lugs.

Signed at Chicago, 111., this 12th day of,

May, 1926.

AUGIE L. HANSEN.

